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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. pit — in a race
  3. prune — to trim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rule — a law
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. firm — a company
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rule — government
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. firm — decided
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. firm — steady
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mine — for digging
  23. prune — the fruit
  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