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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. snap — to click
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fine — high quality
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. fine — all right
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. spring — of water
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. spring — the season
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stand — to bear
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pitcher — a jug

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