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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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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: pit · temple · race · wind · fork · swing · field · firm

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fork — in a road
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. field — a subject
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — steady
  9. swing — music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. swing — in golf
  13. field — for sport
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wind — moving air
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. race — humankind
  23. field — farmland
  24. race — a contest

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