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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stem — to come from
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. club — for golf
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. season — in sport
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. club — for dancing
  18. snap — to click
  19. fine — all right
  20. club — a group
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mouse — the animal

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