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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. field — a subject
  4. toast — bread
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pit — a hole
  15. field — farmland
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rule — a law
  23. field — for sport
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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