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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cell — in biology
  6. suit — clothes
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. file — a line of people
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — music
  15. rule — government
  16. pit — a hole
  17. file — a tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. file — a document
  21. track — a path
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rule — a law

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