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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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468
Word bank
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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. key — in music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pitch — completely
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pit — in a race
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — the most important part

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