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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. row — a line
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. firm — steady
  9. row — to paddle
  10. craft — boats
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pit — in a race
  13. craft — a skill
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. firm — decided
  18. pit — a hole
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. firm — a company
  23. face — to confront
  24. leaves — to go away

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