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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fine — high quality
  3. root — of a word
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bore — to drill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mate — to breed
  12. swing — music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. root — the cause
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fine — all right
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mate — a friend

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