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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pop — to visit
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pit — in a race
  5. field — a subject
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. degree — temperature
  12. field — farmland
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pop — soda
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pop — music
  18. field — for sport
  19. fine — all right
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fine — a penalty

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