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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rash — a series
  4. last — finally
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. last — to go on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. last — final
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. net — for catching
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mate — to breed
  15. root — of a plant
  16. net — in sport
  17. root — the cause
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pit — a hole
  23. net — after costs
  24. root — of a word

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