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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pit — in a race
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. shower — rain
  12. season — in sport
  13. cap — of ice
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bank — for money
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bank — for money
  22. season — of the year
  23. row — a line
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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