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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mug — a face
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pit — a hole
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pitch — completely

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