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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ball — a dance
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. suit — clothes
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. suit — in cards
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitcher — a jug

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