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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. net — for catching
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. roll — a cake
  5. can — a tin
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. pit — a hole
  9. tear — from crying
  10. net — after costs
  11. bore — to tire
  12. suit — to fit
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. can — to be able to
  18. suit — in cards
  19. can — a tin
  20. tear — to rip
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pit — in a race
  23. net — in sport
  24. pop — music

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