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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. field — for sport
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. craft — a skill
  6. field — farmland
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mug — to rob
  9. field — a subject
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mug — a face
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. squash — to crush
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. spell — a short time

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