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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. field — farmland
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mark — a grade
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. row — a line
  9. court — of a king
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. field — a subject
  14. mark — a trace
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pit — a hole
  18. field — for sport
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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