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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — a trace
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pit — a hole
  8. last — final
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. last — to go on
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pit — in a race
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mine — for digging
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bank — of a river
  21. last — finally
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bank — for money

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