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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. key — in music
  18. pitch — completely

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