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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: toast · cabinet · rest · pit · mate · track · bore · swing

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — a song
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. swing — to play on
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — to tire
  19. swing — music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. toast — the most admired

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