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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. field — farmland
  10. degree — temperature
  11. field — a subject
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. field — for sport
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. suit — clothes
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. degree — an amount
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hand — help

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