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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. present — the time now
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rest — what's left
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wound — an injury
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rest — a break
  20. present — a gift
  21. rest — what's left
  22. present — there
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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