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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pit — in a race
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wind — moving air
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pop — music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pop — soda
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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