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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. object — an aim
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. band — a ring
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — of water
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. track — a song
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. current — electric
  18. object — to protest
  19. current — happening now
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. track — a path
  23. object — a thing
  24. band — a music group

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