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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 124 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pitch — completely
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ground — a position
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. chair — a leader
  24. leaves — lets stay

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