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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. march — the month
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. net — after costs
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. march — music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. net — in sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pit — in a race
  15. march — the month
  16. tube — a container
  17. firm — a company
  18. net — for catching

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