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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. net — for catching
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pit — in a race
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rash — a series
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitch — completely
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. net — after costs
  14. pit — a hole
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. net — in sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pass — a permit
  24. shower — rain

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