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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. capital — a city
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pit — a hole
  8. capital — money
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bear — the animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. track — a song
  16. stand — to bear
  17. track — a path
  18. spring — the season
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. prune — to trim
  21. track — to keep track
  22. spring — of water
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spring — a coil

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