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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. current — electric
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. track — a path
  6. current — happening now
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. current — of water
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. fork — in a road
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bat — for baseball

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