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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. file — a document
  6. pop — music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pop — soda
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pop — to visit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a line of people
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pit — a hole
  17. track — a song
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. file — a tool
  22. track — a path
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. safe — a strongbox

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