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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. clip — a video
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mate — a partner
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pit — a hole
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mate — a friend
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mate — to breed
  18. clip — for paper
  19. saw — the tool
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ball — a great time
  24. foot — a measure

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