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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bound — obliged
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bound — certain
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. swing — music
  14. bound — tied together
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mark — a grade
  17. track — a path
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cap — a lid
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cap — of ice
  23. track — a song
  24. wind — moving air

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