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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. can — a tin
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wake — a trail
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. track — a path
  8. stock — shares
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stock — goods
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. track — a song
  18. chair — a leader
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wake — before a funeral

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