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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fine — high quality
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cold — not warm
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fine — all right
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. net — for catching
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — in sport
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bore — to drill
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. net — after costs
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. prune — to trim

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