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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. field — for sport
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pit — in a race
  5. field — a subject
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. face — part of the head
  8. land — a country
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mark — a grade
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — ground
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. land — to come down
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pit — a hole
  22. field — farmland
  23. scale — in music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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