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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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Word bank
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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 · jam · land · suit · ruler · rest · game · nail

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rest — a break
  8. pit — a hole
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rest — what's left
  12. land — to come down
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rest — what's left
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. game — a match
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pit — in a race
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. suit — in cards
  24. ruler — for measuring

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