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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. club — for golf
  4. spell — a short time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — letters
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spell — magic
  10. club — a group
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. club — for dancing
  19. shower — rain
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. shower — to wash

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