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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mug — to rob
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — a face
  23. wound — an injury
  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