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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mark — a trace
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — soda
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pop — music
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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