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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pit — in a race
  5. object — an aim
  6. mate — to breed
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. land — a country
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. object — to protest
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pit — a hole
  13. object — a thing
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a friend
  17. land — ground
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. branch — a division
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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