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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 · pass · mark · pit · rule · calf · chair · mug

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. field — for sport
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. field — farmland
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pit — in a race
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mark — a grade
  16. field — a subject
  17. rule — government
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mark — a trace

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