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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. track — a song
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pit — in a race
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. file — a document
  11. sharp — clever
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. file — a tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. track — a path
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. band — a music group
  24. mark — a grade

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