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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: jam · pit · stick · bear · mark · season · racket · chest

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. chest — of your body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pit — a hole
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chest — a box
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. season — of the year
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pit — in a race
  19. season — in sport
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bear — the animal

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