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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. field — farmland
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. field — for sport
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — in football
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fork — to eat with

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