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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 116 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. game — wild animals
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — a subject
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pit — a hole
  10. key — for a lock
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. field — for sport
  14. last — finally
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — in music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. field — farmland
  20. dip — to sink
  21. game — a match
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. leaves — of a tree

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