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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. board — a committee
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. wind — moving air
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wind — moving air
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bark — to shout
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. foot — a measure
  18. board — to get on
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. key — in music
  21. bound — certain
  22. field — farmland
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bound — obliged

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