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

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pitcher — a jug

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