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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. club — for golf
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rock — music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. land — a country
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. land — to come down
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pit — a hole
  14. land — ground
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. club — a group
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. club — for dancing

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