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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — army training
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bound — certain
  10. face — to confront
  11. pit — in a race
  12. face — to point toward
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bound — tied together
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stand — to bear
  21. drill — a practice
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pit — a hole

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