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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. roll — a list
  4. saw — the tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rush — hurry
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. band — a music group
  18. season — in sport
  19. cap — a lid
  20. season — of the year
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bore — to drill
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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