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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. track — a path
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bank — for money
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pit — a hole
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bank — for money
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bank — of a river
  22. track — a song
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pit — in a race

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