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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. object — a thing
  3. firm — a company
  4. pit — in a race
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. can — a tin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pit — a hole
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. object — an aim
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. row — a line
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. firm — steady
  16. can — to be able to
  17. branch — a division
  18. row — to paddle
  19. chair — a leader
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. object — to protest
  23. can — a tin
  24. firm — decided

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