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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. wake — a trail
  18. face — to confront
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. face — to point toward
  22. field — for sport
  23. face — part of the head
  24. safe — a strongbox

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