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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mark — a trace
  5. craft — boats
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pit — a hole
  12. hand — in cards
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rule — government
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cell — a phone
  22. hand — help
  23. can — a tin
  24. rule — a law

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