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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mate · roll · jam · drill · bay · game · track

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. drill — the tool
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mate — to breed
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pit — in a race
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. roll — a cake
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — a partner
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. drill — army training
  21. game — a match
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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