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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 120 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. band — a music group
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. drill — a practice
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. track — a song
  14. band — a ring
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. fork — in a road
  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