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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 124 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. key — in music
  3. ground — a position
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitch — completely
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ground — the earth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. pit — a hole
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pit — in a race
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. key — for a lock
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bank — of a river
  23. drill — the tool
  24. prune — to trim

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