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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pop — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. land — ground
  12. fine — high quality
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. pop — soda
  17. land — a country
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. land — to come down
  21. fine — all right
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pop — to visit

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