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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — to rob
  4. clip — to cut
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. clip — for paper
  8. track — a song
  9. clip — a video
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mug — a face
  14. can — a tin
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pit — a hole
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. capital — money
  24. mug — a cup

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