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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — a match
  6. bank — for money
  7. pit — in a race
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a path
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bank — of a river
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — to keep track
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. safe — out of danger

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