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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. field — farmland
  5. lie — to recline
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. date — the fruit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pass — a permit
  15. drill — the tool
  16. field — a subject
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. drill — army training
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. field — for sport

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