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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — a series
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rash — hasty
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. track — a song
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cap — a hat
  21. track — a path
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. track — to keep track

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