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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. can — a tin
  3. field — farmland
  4. current — electric
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. march — music
  10. current — happening now
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a hole
  14. current — of water
  15. field — a subject
  16. mark — a trace
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. field — for sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. club — for golf
  22. mark — a grade
  23. can — to be able to
  24. march — the month

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