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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. field — a subject
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rock — music
  10. rest — a break
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — to point toward
  14. track — to keep track
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pit — in a race
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. face — to confront
  19. track — a song
  20. rock — a stone
  21. field — for sport
  22. face — part of the head
  23. field — farmland
  24. rock — to move gently

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