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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cue — a hint
  3. field — for sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. field — farmland
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. branch — a division
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. field — a subject
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cue — a signal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mate — a partner

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