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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. net — after costs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pit — in a race
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — in sport
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. net — for catching
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — a tin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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