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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pop — soda
  3. pit — a hole
  4. firm — a company
  5. cell — in biology
  6. spring — of water
  7. pound — a weight
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pop — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. staff — employees
  19. fall — the season
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spring — the season
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cell — a phone

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