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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. field — farmland
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. band — a ring
  7. pitch — completely
  8. field — a subject
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. band — a music group
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pit — a hole
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. toast — bread
  21. field — for sport
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. date — on the calendar

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