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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. shower — rain
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. charge — electricity
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. charge — a price
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wake — a trail
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bat — for baseball

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