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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. field — a subject
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cue — a hint
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. content — happy
  11. pit — a hole
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. field — farmland
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mine — for digging
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. foot — a measure
  21. field — for sport
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cue — a signal

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