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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pit — in a race
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. drill — army training
  11. sharp — clever
  12. field — farmland
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rock — music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. track — a song
  21. pit — a hole
  22. field — for sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. field — a subject

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