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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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Word bank
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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: mate · field · saw · suit · foot · scale · pit · rush

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pit — a hole
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. field — for sport
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mate — a partner
  18. scale — in music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. suit — to fit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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