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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. field — farmland
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pit — in a race
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pit — a hole
  15. date — the fruit
  16. field — a subject
  17. mark — a trace
  18. drill — army training
  19. wound — an injury
  20. field — for sport
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mouse — for a computer

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