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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. foot — a measure
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wake — a trail
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. date — the fruit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pit — in a race
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. track — a path

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