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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mug — a face
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. root — of a word
  12. land — ground
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. land — to come down
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mark — a trace
  18. root — the cause
  19. fall — the season
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pit — in a race
  22. land — a country
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pit — a hole

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