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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 116 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. track — a song
  3. cell — a phone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pit — a hole
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a path
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pitcher — a jug

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