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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. track — to keep track
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. cue — for pool
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mug — a cup
  9. track — a song
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. craft — boats
  15. march — the month
  16. mug — a face
  17. march — the month
  18. ground — a position
  19. march — music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ground — crushed
  22. track — a path
  23. field — for sport
  24. mug — to rob

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