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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spring — of water
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. spring — the season
  5. lie — to recline
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pitch — completely
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. field — for sport
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. snap — to click
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. pit — a hole
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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