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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — in music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pit — a hole
  6. swing — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pass — a permit
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bass — low music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rush — hurry

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