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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. field — for sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bark — to shout
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. field — farmland
  17. net — after costs
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — a subject
  24. fall — the season

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