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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lean — thin
  4. bat — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mine — for digging
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. season — in sport
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. spell — magic
  24. mine — belonging to me

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