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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pit — a hole
  5. staff — employees
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitch — completely
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pop — music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pop — to visit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fall — the season
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pop — soda
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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