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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. suit — clothes
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. suit — in cards
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spell — letters
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spell — magic
  17. pit — a hole
  18. tear — from crying
  19. content — the amount
  20. ball — a dance
  21. suit — to fit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spell — a short time

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