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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. season — of the year
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ground — the earth
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. pit — a hole
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rock — music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ground — a position
  19. season — in sport
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rock — a stone
  22. march — the month
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rush — to hurry

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