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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. net — in sport
  4. stand — to bear
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cold — not warm
  7. pit — a hole
  8. net — after costs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cold — an illness
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pound — a weight
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. suit — to fit
  23. net — for catching
  24. stand — for spectators

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