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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pop — soda
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. march — the month
  11. bat — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. charge — in control
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pit — a hole
  16. charge — electricity
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. charge — a price
  22. march — the month
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bat — for baseball

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