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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. clip — for paper
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. clip — a video
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pit — a hole

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