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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. shower — rain
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. deal — to handle
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. prune — to trim
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. shower — to wash
  24. deal — an agreement

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