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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fall — the season
  4. object — an aim
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. march — the month
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. object — to protest
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stand — to bear
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fall — to drop
  15. march — music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. object — a thing
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cap — a hat
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. march — the month

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