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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: pit · bore · dip · arm · racket · date · jam · bay

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. dip — to sink
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pit — in a race
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bore — to drill
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. racket — for tennis

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