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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pit — a hole
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — a company
  9. bank — for money
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bank — of a river
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bat — the animal
  16. firm — steady
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. firm — decided
  19. can — a tin
  20. bank — for money
  21. chair — a leader
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bat — for baseball

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