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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cell — a phone
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kick — in football
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spell — magic
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cell — in biology
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pit — in a race
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spell — letters
  24. kick — a thrill

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