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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. club — for dancing
  7. file — a tool
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mark — a trace
  10. file — a line of people
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. club — a group
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. club — for golf
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pit — in a race
  17. file — a document
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. prune — to trim

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