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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. net — for catching
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. kid — child
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mate — to breed
  16. net — after costs
  17. rock — music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. net — in sport
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mate — a friend
  23. kid — to tease
  24. field — farmland

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