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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — for golf
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bound — tied together
  6. march — music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bound — certain
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. club — a group
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bound — obliged
  20. season — in sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. season — of the year
  24. march — the month

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