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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. land — to come down
  3. field — for sport
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. field — a subject
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. file — a tool
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bear — the animal
  10. land — ground
  11. field — farmland
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bear — the animal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rush — hurry
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. land — a country
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. file — a document
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. leaves — of a tree

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