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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: spring · rash · pit · rock · field · spell · wind · ground

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wind — moving air
  5. spell — magic
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. spell — letters
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. spring — of water
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. field — a subject
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rash — a series

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