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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. net — in sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. hand — in cards
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fall — to drop
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — to drop
  13. net — for catching
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. net — after costs
  20. squash — the sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. pit — a hole
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fall — the season

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