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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. file — a line of people
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. can — a tin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. drill — army training
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. file — a document
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — to be able to
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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