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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. field — a subject
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. field — for sport
  5. kid — child
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. snap — to click
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. field — farmland
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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