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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pit — a hole
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. pit — in a race
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. field — farmland
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mark — to pay attention

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