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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fall — to drop
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fall — the season
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fall — to drop
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. spring — of water
  24. date — the fruit

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