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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cap — a hat
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pit — a hole
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cap — of ice
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. content — happy
  24. arm — a part of something

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