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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — of the year
  3. rest — a break
  4. tube — a container
  5. spell — magic
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. tube — the underground
  10. spell — letters
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. season — in sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. toast — bread
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fine — high quality

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