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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. suit — in cards
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. track — a song
  9. craft — boats
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pit — a hole
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. track — a path
  14. rush — hurry
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. track — to keep track
  18. key — in music
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bat — the animal
  23. suit — to fit
  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