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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. net — in sport
  3. file — a tool
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. deal — to handle
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rash — hasty
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. net — for catching
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pit — in a race
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rash — a series
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. file — a document

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