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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mate — a partner
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pit — a hole
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mate — to breed
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. mate — a friend

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