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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. track — a song
  3. game — wild animals
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. capital — a city
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mark — a trace
  9. track — to keep track
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. date — the fruit
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rush — hurry
  20. game — a match
  21. track — a path
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pit — a hole
  24. straw — dry grass

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