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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pit — in a race
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pit — a hole
  15. field — farmland
  16. rash — a series
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — a subject
  22. bat — the animal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. field — for 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