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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rash — a series
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rash — hasty
  11. field — farmland
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pit — in a race

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