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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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Word bank
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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. club — a group
  4. key — in music
  5. suit — to fit
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fine — all right
  8. kick — in football
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kid — child
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. club — for golf
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pit — in a race
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pit — a hole
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stem — to come from
  23. kid — to tease
  24. club — for dancing

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