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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mate — to breed
  7. row — a line
  8. ball — a great time
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. row — to paddle
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. field — farmland
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mate — a friend
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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