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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. band — a music group
  5. track — a path
  6. suit — clothes
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pit — a hole
  11. track — to keep track
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chest — of your body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chest — a box
  18. track — a song
  19. club — a group
  20. band — a ring
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — in cards

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