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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rock — a stone
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. shower — rain
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pit — in a race
  12. track — a path
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. track — a song
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rock — music

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