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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. spell — letters
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. press — to push
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. press — a publisher
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fork — in a road
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. date — the fruit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. track — to keep track
  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