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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kid — child
  4. field — farmland
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. field — for sport
  11. pop — soda
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pop — music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. field — a subject
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. hide — animal skin

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