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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. tear — from crying
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pit — a hole
  7. firm — a company
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tear — from crying
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. firm — decided
  12. perch — the fish
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. tear — to rip
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. firm — steady
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. perch — for a bird

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