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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lean — thin
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — for money
  10. toast — bread
  11. pit — a hole
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bank — of a river
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bank — for money
  19. swing — music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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