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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · face · drill · present · pit · chest · jam · pitcher

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. face — to point toward
  3. drill — army training
  4. bear — the animal
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. present — the time now
  10. face — to confront
  11. present — a gift
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. drill — a practice
  14. chest — of your body
  15. present — there
  16. chest — a box
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — a hole

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