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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rush — hurry
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. field — farmland
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. field — for sport
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. drill — the tool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. field — a subject
  19. drill — army training
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. lie — to recline
  24. content — videos and posts

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