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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pit — in a race
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pit — a hole
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. saw — the tool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. swing — in golf
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. season — of the year
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. season — in sport
  23. prune — to trim
  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