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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — a gift
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — to bear
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pit — in a race
  15. present — there
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bank — for money
  18. tear — to rip
  19. present — the time now
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bank — of a river
  23. perch — the fish
  24. tear — from crying

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