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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. track — a song
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. present — the time now
  13. fork — in a road
  14. roll — a cake
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cell — a phone
  19. track — a path
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cell — in biology

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