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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. row — to paddle
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pitch — completely
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. spring — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pit — a hole
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. row — a line
  24. racket — a loud noise

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