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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. craft — boats
  3. field — a subject
  4. pit — a hole
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. track — a path
  10. bound — certain
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pit — in a race
  14. field — for sport
  15. track — a song
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fine — all right
  18. track — to keep track
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cue — a hint
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. field — farmland
  24. craft — a handicraft

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