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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · last · key · track · temple · present · trunk · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. key — for a lock
  5. last — final
  6. pit — in a race
  7. present — a gift
  8. track — a path
  9. key — in music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pit — a hole
  13. last — to go on
  14. present — the time now
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. last — finally
  17. track — a song
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — there
  20. track — to keep track
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. key — the most important part
  24. board — a committee

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