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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.

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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cell — in biology
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. field — a subject
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rock — music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cell — a phone
  20. field — for sport
  21. mine — for digging
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. 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