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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. net — in sport
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pitch — completely
  8. snap — to click
  9. bound — obliged
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — in sport
  13. bound — certain
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lie — to recline
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pit — in a race
  18. net — for catching
  19. key — in music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — of the year
  23. net — after costs
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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