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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stand — to bear
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. press — newspapers
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pit — a hole
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. court — of law
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. craft — boats
  17. court — for sport
  18. race — humankind
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. press — to push
  24. court — of a king

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