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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. row — a line
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rule — a law
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. row — to paddle
  8. toast — bread
  9. track — a song
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. track — a path
  13. court — of law
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. court — of a king
  18. rule — government
  19. pit — a hole
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. court — for sport

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