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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 120 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. game — a match
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pit — a hole
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a leader
  22. kick — in football
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitcher — a jug

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