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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 124 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stock — shares
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stock — goods
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tear — from crying
  15. field — for sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. field — farmland
  23. rock — music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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