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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chip — to eat
  3. field — farmland
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pit — in a race
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lean — thin
  16. chip — for betting
  17. field — a subject
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. field — for sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. vault — a safe

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