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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: jam · pit · game · net · bore · field · sharp · saw

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. game — a match
  3. field — for sport
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pit — a hole
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. field — a subject
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. net — after costs
  14. game — wild animals
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. net — in sport
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. net — for catching
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. saw — the tool

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