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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pop — music
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pop — soda
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rash — a series
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — army training

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