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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 116 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: chip · court · pit · bowl · safe · cold · can · track

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. court — for sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. track — a path
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — for betting
  11. court — of law
  12. track — a song
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. can — a tin
  21. pit — a hole
  22. can — to be able to
  23. court — of a king
  24. chip — to eat

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