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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. season — in sport
  12. cap — of ice
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bank — for money
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — a tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cap — a lid

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