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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. squash — the sport
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pit — in a race
  9. toast — bread
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rush — hurry
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pit — a hole
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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