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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bass — the fish
  3. game — a match
  4. pit — a hole
  5. track — a path
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. game — wild animals
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bass — low music
  13. board — a committee
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wax — to grow
  16. track — a song
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. board — to get on
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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