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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mark — a trace
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — for sport
  5. mark — a grade
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. field — farmland
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. can — a tin
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. squash — the sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. snap — to click
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pit — a hole
  23. field — a subject
  24. pit — in a race

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