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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. object — to protest
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. object — a thing
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. roll — a list
  16. pit — a hole
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. object — an aim
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fine — all right
  23. wind — moving air
  24. coach — a trainer

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