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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. track — a song
  3. pit — a hole
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. firm — decided
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. firm — steady
  20. pit — in a race
  21. can — to be able to
  22. track — a path
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. firm — a company

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