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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 120 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. dip — to sink
  3. net — for catching
  4. season — of the year
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. season — in sport
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. net — after costs
  14. field — a subject
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. field — farmland
  17. pit — in a race
  18. field — for sport
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. net — in sport

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