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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: plane · temple · track · drill · cabinet · swing · pit · cell

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. drill — the tool
  11. swing — in golf
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. plane — a tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cell — a phone
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — a path
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pit — in a race

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