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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pit — a hole
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. net — after costs
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. club — for dancing
  10. net — for catching
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. club — for golf
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chair — a leader
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. net — in sport
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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