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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. spell — magic
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — in a race
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pound — a weight
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. spell — letters
  24. can — to be able to

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