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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mug — to rob
  3. staff — a stick
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. mug — a cup
  7. staff — employees
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. fall — the season
  10. pit — a hole
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. prune — to trim
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitch — completely
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fall — to drop
  18. firm — decided
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mug — a face
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pit — in a race

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