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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. staff — employees
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. field — a subject
  7. game — a match
  8. foot — a measure
  9. field — farmland
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. staff — employees
  12. field — for sport
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stem — to come from
  18. tube — a container
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. craft — a skill
  22. tube — the underground
  23. craft — boats
  24. foot — the bottom

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