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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. field — farmland
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. field — a subject
  10. pit — in a race
  11. kick — in football
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. field — for sport

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