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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. craft — boats
  6. rush — hurry
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. spring — of water
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chip — to eat
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pop — music
  16. scale — in music
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pop — soda
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bat — the animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. pop — to visit

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