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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. snap — to click
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pit — a hole
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. clip — a video
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. spell — magic
  15. prune — to trim
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. clip — to cut
  20. spell — letters
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. safe — a strongbox

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