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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pass — a permit
  5. firm — steady
  6. net — after costs
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wound — an injury
  11. firm — decided
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rush — hurry
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. firm — a company

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