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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. board — a committee
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mug — to rob
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mug — a face
  8. field — for sport
  9. charge — in control
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — a price
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. board — to get on
  17. field — a subject
  18. date — the fruit
  19. foot — a measure
  20. field — farmland
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mug — a cup
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pit — a hole

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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