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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pop — soda
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. band — a ring
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cell — in biology
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pop — music
  12. march — the month
  13. pop — to visit
  14. band — a music group
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cell — a phone
  18. march — the month
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. game — a match
  23. march — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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