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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 120 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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. band — a music group
  6. hand — help
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. band — a ring
  13. clip — for paper
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pass — a permit
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. clip — a video
  24. hand — in cards

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