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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: pit · march · field · suit · ground · trunk · saw · cabinet

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. saw — the tool
  4. march — music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. suit — to fit
  8. march — the month
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. pit — a hole
  13. field — farmland
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. field — for sport
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. suit — clothes
  19. march — the month
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. field — a subject
  23. ground — crushed
  24. saw — the tool

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