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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cue — a hint
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. track — a path
  10. fork — in a road
  11. track — to keep track
  12. drill — the tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cue — for pool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. track — a song
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bank — for money
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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