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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bound — certain
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fine — all right
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bound — tied together
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fine — high quality
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bound — obliged
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. staff — employees
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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