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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pit — in a race
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. drill — army training
  9. file — a tool
  10. last — to go on
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. file — a line of people
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. last — finally
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bear — the animal
  20. file — a document
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. jam — a tight spot

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