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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — clothes
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. ball — a dance
  8. field — a subject
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. perch — the fish
  13. suit — in cards
  14. field — farmland
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rest — what's left
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rest — a break

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