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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · straw · pit · pitcher · snap · field · rush · mine

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. field — a subject
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. field — for sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pit — a hole
  14. field — farmland
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rush — hurry
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. plane — a tool
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mine — for digging
  24. snap — to click

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