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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. field — farmland
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. last — finally
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fine — all right
  11. tear — from crying
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. tear — from crying
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. suit — in cards
  16. field — for sport
  17. last — to go on
  18. field — a subject
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. last — final
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fine — high quality
  24. tear — to rip

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