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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 120 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: fork · pit · lean · stick · rest · row · cap · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lean — thin
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. field — for sport
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. field — farmland

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