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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. field — farmland
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. press — to push
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — not warm
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. pit — a hole
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cold — an illness

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