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

Word bank: march · roll · pit · race · rest · face · track · cell

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. track — a path
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. track — a song
  6. race — a contest
  7. march — the month
  8. cell — a phone
  9. face — to confront
  10. rest — a break
  11. pit — a hole
  12. race — the arms race
  13. roll — a list
  14. face — to point toward
  15. race — humankind
  16. march — the month
  17. face — part of the head
  18. track — to keep track
  19. march — music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rest — what's left

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