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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: lean · game · track · cabinet · stand · file · mark · pit

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pit — in a race
  3. track — a song
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lean — thin
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. file — a document
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. file — a tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mark — a trace
  20. game — wild animals
  21. track — a path
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stand — to bear
  24. game — a match

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