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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. content — happy
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spring — the season
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. content — the amount
  7. present — the time now
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — there
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pit — in a race
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. spring — of water
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pass — a permit
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spring — a coil
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. present — a gift

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