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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. field — farmland
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rash — a series
  9. cue — a hint
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. field — for sport
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. craft — boats
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. tear — to rip
  24. field — a subject

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