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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. charge — a price
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fall — to drop
  10. field — a subject
  11. pit — a hole
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fall — the season
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. field — farmland
  24. charge — in control

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