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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ball — a dance
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — in music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. field — for sport
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. tube — a container
  13. bound — tied together
  14. field — a subject
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. field — farmland
  18. bound — certain
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. tube — the underground
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bound — obliged
  24. ball — a round shape

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