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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. suit — clothes
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kid — child
  8. pass — a permit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. field — a subject
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to sink
  16. kid — to tease
  17. suit — to fit
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. field — farmland
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. arm — a part of something

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