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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. present — there
  3. field — farmland
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. race — a contest
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rock — music
  8. mug — a face
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lie — to recline
  12. race — humankind
  13. current — electric
  14. mug — to rob
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — happening now
  17. present — a gift
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. current — of water
  20. race — the arms race
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. present — the time now
  24. pit — a hole

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