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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — a subject
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. field — farmland
  10. foot — a measure
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. board — to get on
  14. pit — in a race
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. board — a committee
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. field — for sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stand — to bear
  24. board — a flat piece

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