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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. track — a song
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ball — a dance
  13. band — a music group
  14. track — a path
  15. pit — a hole
  16. band — a ring
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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