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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pit — a hole
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. tear — from crying
  11. dip — to sink
  12. swing — in golf
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. row — to paddle
  18. tear — from crying
  19. row — a line
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. swing — music
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. prune — the fruit
  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