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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chest — a box
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ground — a position
  7. pit — in a race
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. field — farmland
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chest — of your body
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — to be able to
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pass — to succeed

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