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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — to recline
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pit — a hole
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chair — a leader
  24. nail — for a hammer

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