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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fork — in a road
  13. track — a path
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rock — music
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. prune — to trim

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