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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ground — a position
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pit — in a race
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. pit — a hole
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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