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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. face — part of the head
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pitch — completely
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. face — to point toward
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. track — to keep track
  17. face — to confront
  18. firm — a company
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pit — in a race
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. firm — decided

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