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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. track — a song
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pit — a hole
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pop — soda
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. game — a match
  10. pop — music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bore — to drill
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — to tire
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pop — to visit
  21. toast — bread
  22. track — a path
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. track — to keep track

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