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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bound — tied together
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bound — obliged
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rest — a break
  21. bound — certain
  22. spring — of water
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spring — the season

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