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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pit — in a race
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pit — a hole
  6. track — to keep track
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. foot — a measure
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. spring — of water
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. toast — bread

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