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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wake — a trail
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pit — a hole
  19. track — a song
  20. mark — a grade
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fan — a supporter

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