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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. tube — the underground
  3. race — humankind
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mate — a friend
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pit — in a race
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. ground — a position
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. tube — a container
  24. race — a contest

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