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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pit — a hole
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lean — thin
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — certain
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rule — government
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rule — a law

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