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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. press — to push
  3. track — a path
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. game — wild animals
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. band — a ring
  20. track — a song
  21. game — a match
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. band — a music group
  24. suit — to fit

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