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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. present — there
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. object — to protest
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pit — in a race
  14. present — the time now
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. present — a gift
  23. wax — to grow
  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