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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. field — farmland
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. capital — a city
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. craft — a skill
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. capital — money
  14. pit — in a race
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. press — to push
  17. court — of law
  18. field — a subject
  19. court — for sport
  20. field — for sport
  21. season — in sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. craft — boats
  24. season — of the year

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