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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. content — happy
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pit — in a race
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. content — the amount

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