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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spring — a coil
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mate — a partner
  10. content — happy
  11. mate — a friend
  12. content — the amount
  13. mark — a grade
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ball — a dance
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ball — a great time
  22. spring — of water
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spring — the season

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