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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. field — a subject
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. current — of water
  5. pit — a hole
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. field — farmland
  9. pit — in a race
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lie — to recline
  15. field — for sport
  16. current — electric
  17. snap — to click
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — a trace
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — happening now
  23. bulb — for light
  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