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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. season — of the year
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. spell — letters
  12. pit — in a race
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. spell — a short time
  23. season — in sport
  24. pitch — completely

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