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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bore — to tire
  10. field — a subject
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. field — farmland
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rash — a series
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. pit — a hole
  23. field — for sport
  24. prune — to trim

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