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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 116 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mate — a partner
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. track — a song
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bass — low music
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. track — a path
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stem — of a plant

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