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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. last — finally
  4. track — to keep track
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. track — a song
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pit — a hole
  9. last — final
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. last — to go on
  20. toast — bread
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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