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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spring — of water
  4. pit — in a race
  5. march — music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. march — the month
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. track — a path
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cue — for pool
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spring — the season
  14. date — the fruit
  15. spring — a coil
  16. march — the month
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rash — a series
  19. track — to keep track
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. track — a song
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cue — a hint
  24. coach — a trainer

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