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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — to trim
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. craft — boats
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fall — to drop
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pitcher — in 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