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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pit — in a race
  5. scale — in music
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mate — to breed
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bear — the animal

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