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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pit — in a race
  5. hand — help
  6. track — a path
  7. pass — a permit
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fork — in a road
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. hand — in cards
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. vault — a safe

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