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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pop — music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mug — a face
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pit — a hole

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