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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 settled on a ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. field — for sport
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. field — farmland
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. field — a subject
  12. season — in sport
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. court — of law
  15. toast — bread
  16. court — of a king
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. season — of the year
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. court — for sport

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