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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. board — a committee
  8. field — a subject
  9. board — to get on
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mug — to rob
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mug — a face
  18. field — farmland
  19. ball — a great time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pit — in a race
  24. field — for sport

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