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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. land — a country
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ball — a dance
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. field — a subject
  10. face — part of the head
  11. craft — a skill
  12. field — farmland
  13. craft — boats
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. land — to come down
  19. face — to confront
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. field — for sport
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. land — ground
  24. face — to point toward

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