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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bound — certain
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. last — finally
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bound — obliged
  14. game — a match
  15. last — to go on
  16. mark — a trace
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. last — final
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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