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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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 hole
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — employees
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bound — certain
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mine — for digging
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. game — a match
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mine — an explosive

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