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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. spell — letters
  3. track — to keep track
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pit — a hole
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — a song
  10. pit — in a race
  11. key — the most important part
  12. track — a path
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. club — for golf
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — in music
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. club — a group
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. club — for dancing
  24. spell — magic

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