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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pit — in a race
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stock — goods
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stock — shares
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — an explosive

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