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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: season · jam · rule · bat · face · field · pit · safe

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. field — for sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. field — a subject
  9. face — part of the head
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. field — farmland
  16. bat — the animal
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. season — in sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rule — government
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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