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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cell — in biology
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rest — what's left
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bound — certain
  24. pitch — completely

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