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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mark — a trace
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. net — in sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — there
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. net — after costs
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — a grade
  16. net — for catching
  17. rule — a law
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rule — government
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. sharp — clever

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