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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — in biology
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pit — a hole
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. date — the fruit
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. patient — a sick person

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