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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. snap — to click
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. kick — in football
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. field — farmland
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. pit — a hole
  24. kick — a thrill

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