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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pit — a hole
  7. kid — child
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fall — the season
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. field — for sport
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. squash — to crush
  24. safe — a strongbox

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