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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 124 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. prune — to trim
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pit — in a race
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. net — after costs
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pass — a permit
  20. net — for catching
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bore — to drill
  24. net — in sport

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