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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. race — a contest
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. race — humankind
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — to be able to
  14. race — the arms race
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. field — for sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. mark — a trace
  19. perch — the fish
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mark — a grade

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