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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bear — the animal
  4. toast — bread
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. field — farmland
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. field — a subject
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. season — in sport
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. field — for sport
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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