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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. pit — in a race
  3. court — of law
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stand — to bear
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tube — the underground
  21. court — of a king
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. court — for sport
  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