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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. rash — a series
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. present — the time now
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. present — there
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. present — a gift

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