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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. swing — to play on
  8. key — in music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. scale — size or range
  11. track — a path
  12. swing — in golf
  13. key — the most important part
  14. swing — music
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. scale — in music
  18. track — to keep track
  19. key — for a lock
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. track — a song
  22. ground — a position
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. ground — the earth

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