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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's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pit — in a race
  3. spring — of water
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. field — for sport
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chair — a leader
  17. last — finally
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — the season
  22. field — farmland
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. foot — a measure

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