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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. field — for sport
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. field — farmland
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — a subject
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pit — a hole

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