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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. track — a path
  5. band — a music group
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pit — in a race
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pit — a hole
  12. band — a ring
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. track — to keep track
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. file — a document
  24. track — a song

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