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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pit — a hole
  4. spell — letters
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. spell — a short time
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rock — music
  9. field — a subject
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stock — shares
  14. field — farmland
  15. stock — goods
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — magic
  18. fine — high quality
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fine — all right
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. field — for sport
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rock — a stone

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