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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. key — in music
  15. toast — bread
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. key — for a lock
  19. spring — the season
  20. pit — in a race
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — the most important part

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