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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fine — high quality
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pit — a hole
  5. tube — a container
  6. mark — a trace
  7. track — a song
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. track — a path
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pit — in a race
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — certain
  19. fine — all right
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fan — a supporter

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