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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. race — humankind
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — a group
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. race — a contest
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pit — a hole
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. club — for golf
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitch — completely

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