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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ball — a great time
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. track — a song
  10. scale — size or range
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wound — an injury
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. swing — in golf
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. sharp — clever
  19. plane — a tool
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pit — a hole
  23. scale — in music
  24. ball — a round shape

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