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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fine — all right
  3. field — a subject
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. hand — help
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. band — a music group
  8. field — farmland
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. field — for sport
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pit — in a race
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hand — in cards
  24. band — a ring

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