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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. root — of a word
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cell — in biology
  5. root — the cause
  6. track — a song
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. firm — decided
  10. cell — a phone
  11. firm — a company
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a path
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. firm — steady
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. root — of a plant
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pit — a hole
  23. track — to keep track
  24. kick — in football

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