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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cap — of ice
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. net — in sport
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. net — after costs
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rule — government
  12. cap — a hat
  13. suit — in cards
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rule — a law
  18. land — ground
  19. cap — a lid
  20. land — to come down
  21. pit — in a race
  22. land — a country
  23. suit — to fit
  24. jam — in traffic

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