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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fine — all right
  5. game — a match
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pit — a hole
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fine — high quality
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. game — wild animals
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. squash — the sport

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