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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 120 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. last — finally
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pit — in a race
  15. last — to go on
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. last — final
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cap — a lid

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