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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pit — in a race
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. swing — music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pit — a hole
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. branch — a division
  19. track — a path
  20. bore — to drill
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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