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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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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. suit — clothes
  3. last — final
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — a skill
  7. last — finally
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. craft — boats
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pit — a hole
  21. staff — employees
  22. fine — all right
  23. last — to go on
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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