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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. track — a song
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. track — a path
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — a company
  11. court — for sport
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. firm — decided
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. firm — steady
  18. toast — bread
  19. court — of a king
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pit — a hole
  24. court — of law

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