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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. land — ground
  4. craft — a skill
  5. land — a country
  6. pit — a hole
  7. firm — decided
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. craft — boats
  10. firm — steady
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. last — to go on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fine — all right
  17. pit — in a race
  18. firm — a company
  19. last — final
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. land — to come down
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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