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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bound — obliged
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pit — in a race
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pitch — completely
  13. key — in music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — certain
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bound — tied together
  24. track — a song

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