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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. field — a subject
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. field — for sport
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. field — farmland
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rule — government
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rule — a law
  22. kick — in football
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — a thrill

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