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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cap — a lid
  4. track — a song
  5. fork — in a road
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — a path
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cap — of ice

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