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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. season — of the year
  3. pit — a hole
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — to keep track
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. season — in sport
  9. track — a song
  10. band — a music group
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wake — a trail
  14. track — a path
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. band — a ring

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