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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. fine — all right
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. track — a song
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fine — high quality
  9. capital — a city
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fall — to drop
  12. capital — money
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pit — in a race
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rash — a series
  17. pit — a hole
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. track — a path
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fall — the season
  24. track — to keep track

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