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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. season — of the year
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. object — a thing
  7. ball — a great time
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. wake — a trail
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. object — an aim
  20. season — in sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ball — a dance
  23. object — to protest
  24. date — the fruit

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