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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. file — a line of people
  4. field — farmland
  5. pop — music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. field — a subject
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pop — soda
  13. file — a document
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bank — of a river
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. file — a tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. field — for sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bank — for money

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