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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fork — in a road
  5. staff — employees
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. field — a subject
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fine — all right
  10. field — for sport
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. field — farmland
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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