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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fine — high quality
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pit — a hole
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. season — of the year
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. net — for catching
  10. fine — all right
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. dip — to sink
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. season — in sport
  18. field — a subject

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