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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 116 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. net — in sport
  4. pit — in a race
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. staff — employees
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. staff — employees
  20. rest — a break
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rest — what's left
  24. file — a document

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