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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: field · pit · nail · rock · arm · staff · dip · stick

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. staff — a stick
  3. field — farmland
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. field — a subject
  8. rock — a stone
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. staff — employees
  13. rock — music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pit — in a race
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. dip — to sink

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