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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hand — help
  7. rash — a series
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. race — the arms race
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. race — a contest
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. season — in sport
  15. dip — to sink
  16. season — of the year
  17. pit — a hole
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. hand — in cards
  21. race — humankind
  22. rash — hasty
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — on the skin

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