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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fine — high quality
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. key — the most important part
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fine — all right
  10. key — for a lock
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — in music
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rush — hurry
  23. date — the fruit
  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