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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rule — a law
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. file — a tool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. file — a document
  10. degree — temperature
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitch — completely
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rule — government
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stand — to bear

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