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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. last — to go on
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — farmland
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — final
  13. bank — for money
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. field — for sport
  16. last — finally
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. field — a subject

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