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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pass — a permit
  5. file — a document
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bore — to drill
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fine — high quality
  14. file — a tool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. file — a line of people

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