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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · mate · present · hide · pit · jam · wake · club

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. present — the time now
  4. pit — a hole
  5. present — there
  6. wake — a trail
  7. kid — to tease
  8. club — for dancing
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mate — a friend
  12. present — a gift
  13. kid — child
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. club — a group
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. club — for golf
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mate — a partner
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mate — to breed
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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