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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pit — a hole
  5. can — a tin
  6. root — of a word
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. root — the cause
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — part of the head
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — a tin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. face — to confront
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mug — a face
  21. bat — the animal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pit — in a race

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