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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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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. track — a path
  4. march — the month
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. track — a song
  20. foot — a measure
  21. march — music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. march — the month
  24. pit — in a race

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