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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rash — hasty
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rash — a series
  5. mark — a trace
  6. key — for a lock
  7. season — in sport
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ground — a position
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. key — in music
  12. field — farmland
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pit — a hole
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. field — a subject
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mark — a grade
  22. season — of the year
  23. field — for sport
  24. chip — for betting

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