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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.

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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pit — a hole
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. content — the amount
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. race — the arms race
  12. content — happy
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. race — humankind
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. race — a contest
  20. fork — in a road
  21. squash — the sport
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. dip — to sink

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