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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fall — to drop
  5. key — for a lock
  6. staff — a stick
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. staff — employees
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — a hole
  14. staff — employees
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. key — in music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. pitcher — a jug

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