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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. face — to confront
  6. club — a group
  7. prune — to trim
  8. club — for dancing
  9. net — after costs
  10. face — part of the head
  11. club — for golf
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — in sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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