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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. field — for sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hand — in cards
  7. kick — in football
  8. face — to point toward
  9. deal — to handle
  10. face — part of the head
  11. field — a subject
  12. hand — help
  13. pit — a hole
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. face — to confront
  22. pit — in a race
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fan — to cool the air

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