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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. present — a gift
  3. charge — a price
  4. scale — size or range
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. charge — electricity
  7. present — the time now
  8. charge — in control
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pit — a hole
  16. scale — in music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. plane — a tool
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. present — there
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. racket — for tennis

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