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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. field — farmland
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. last — to go on
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. field — a subject
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. saw — the tool
  15. last — final
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bank — of a river
  18. field — for sport
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. pit — in a race
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pit — a hole
  24. last — finally

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