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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — for sport
  3. kick — in football
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. suit — clothes
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — a subject
  12. suit — in cards
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pit — in a race
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. field — farmland
  18. row — a line
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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