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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mate — a friend
  3. date — the fruit
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mate — a partner
  17. toast — bread
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mate — to breed
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chair — a professorship

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