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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mug — a face
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wind — moving air
  11. charge — in control
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mug — a cup
  18. charge — a price
  19. mug — to rob
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lean — thin
  24. bark — of a tree

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