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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: stick · firm · lie · field · game · pit · kid · jam

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lie — to recline
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — child
  7. firm — decided
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. field — for sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. firm — steady
  14. game — a match
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. firm — a company
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pit — in a race
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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