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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rush — hurry
  3. track — a path
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bank — for money
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. file — a tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. race — humankind
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bank — for money
  22. race — a contest
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rush — a thrill

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