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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. court — of law
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. roll — a list
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. dip — to sink
  13. tear — from crying
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wake — a trail
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com