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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. field — a subject
  3. chest — a box
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. club — a group
  7. snap — to click
  8. pitch — completely
  9. chest — of your body
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. field — for sport
  19. chest — of your body
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stand — to bear
  22. field — farmland
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. club — for golf

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