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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mate — a friend
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mate — a partner
  11. net — in sport
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. field — a subject
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — a safe
  16. field — for sport
  17. mate — to breed
  18. field — farmland

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