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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cue — for pool
  4. drill — army training
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. present — the time now
  7. pit — a hole
  8. drill — the tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. present — a gift
  15. cue — a signal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cue — a hint
  18. field — farmland
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. present — there
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pit — in a race

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