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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 · deal · mine · track · fall · pit · cap · bulb

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fall — the season
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mine — for digging
  9. march — music
  10. track — a path
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. track — to keep track
  15. march — the month
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cap — of ice
  21. march — the month
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. track — a song

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