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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · season · track · dip · pass · fork · rock · mouse

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fork — in a road
  3. season — of the year
  4. track — a song
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pit — in a race
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. track — a path

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