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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. firm — decided
  3. chest — a box
  4. foot — a measure
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. craft — boats
  9. pit — in a race
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. prune — to trim
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. prune — to trim
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. clip — a video
  21. craft — a skill
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. pit — a hole

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