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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 120 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. pit — a hole
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. club — a group
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ground — a position
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chest — a box
  12. rock — music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. club — for golf
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. ground — crushed
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ground — the earth
  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