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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stand — to bear
  5. field — farmland
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pit — in a race
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cue — for pool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cue — a signal
  16. field — a subject
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. field — for sport
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. pit — a hole
  24. craft — boats

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