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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fall — to drop
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fall — the season
  7. march — music
  8. season — in sport
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. club — a group
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pit — a hole
  15. march — the month
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. march — the month
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bowl — to roll

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