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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 124 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. game — a match
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. firm — decided
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spring — the season
  11. bound — certain
  12. firm — steady
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. firm — a company
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. game — wild animals
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pass — a permit

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