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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. last — final
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — in control
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hand — help
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. field — farmland
  14. fork — in a road
  15. last — finally
  16. field — for sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. field — a subject
  24. last — to go on

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