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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — in football
  6. lean — thin
  7. dip — to sink
  8. face — to confront
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitch — completely
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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