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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. field — for sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pound — a weight
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. charge — in control
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. charge — a price

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