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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. suit — in cards
  4. track — a path
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. suit — to fit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. can — a tin
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. scale — in music
  21. can — to be able to
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. track — a song
  24. suit — clothes

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