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

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mark — a trace
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. court — for sport
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wake — a trail
  10. file — a document
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. file — a tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. perch — the fish

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