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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. field — farmland
  8. ground — a position
  9. pass — a permit
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mate — to breed
  12. face — to confront
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — a friend
  15. field — a subject
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. field — for sport
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pit — in a race

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