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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: lie · pit · pitcher · sharp · ruler · fan · wound · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. field — farmland
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — an untruth

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