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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mark — a trace
  4. spring — of water
  5. ball — a great time
  6. spring — the season
  7. pound — a weight
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pit — a hole
  10. field — for sport
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. field — farmland
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. mark — a grade
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. field — a subject
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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