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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — a thing
  6. pit — a hole
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. squash — the sport
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pit — in a race
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. scale — in music
  13. squash — to crush
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. foot — a measure
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. object — an aim
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. game — a match
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. squash — the vegetable

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