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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pit — in a race
  4. march — the month
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. march — the month
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. march — music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rest — a break
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bat — the animal
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wind — moving air

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