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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pitch — completely
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mate — to breed
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mate — a friend

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