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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. branch — a division
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. drill — army training
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. drill — the tool
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wake — a trail

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