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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · arm · file · field · stick · fine · bulb · wind

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pit — in a race
  4. field — a subject
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. field — farmland
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — for sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fine — all right
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. file — a document

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