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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. staff — a stick
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. field — a subject
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. kid — to tease
  8. staff — employees
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. plane — a tool
  13. field — farmland
  14. pit — a hole
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. key — in music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. staff — employees
  19. field — for sport
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. kid — child
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. key — for a lock

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