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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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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: pit · game · wind · track · wake · bulb · object · stick

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wind — moving air
  10. track — a path
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — an aim
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. game — a match
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. object — a thing
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. object — to protest
  24. pit — a hole

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