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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. season — of the year
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. plane — a tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pit — a hole
  17. season — in sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — to recline
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. field — for sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — an untruth

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