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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 120 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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. net — for catching
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mate — a friend
  14. net — in sport
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pop — soda
  17. track — a path
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pop — music
  20. chip — for betting
  21. net — after costs
  22. chip — to eat
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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