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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rash — hasty
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rash — a series
  9. mark — a grade
  10. track — a song
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. track — a path
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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