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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. court — of law
  3. band — a ring
  4. pop — to visit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pop — music
  14. scale — in music
  15. band — a music group
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pop — soda
  20. court — of a king
  21. prune — to trim
  22. court — for sport
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pass — a permit

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