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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. track — a song
  3. drill — army training
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. suit — in cards
  13. drill — a practice
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pit — a hole
  16. track — a path
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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