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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. present — a gift
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. file — a tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wound — an injury
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. season — in sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. season — of the year
  16. file — a document
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pop — music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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