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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pitch — completely
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. field — farmland
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. field — a subject
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. field — for sport
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. arm — part of the body
  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