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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. chair — a professorship

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