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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: field · pit · bear · last · ground · lie · stick · cue

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. field — farmland
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — a position
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. pit — in a race
  21. last — to go on
  22. field — a subject
  23. pit — a hole
  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