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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pop — music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pit — a hole
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. season — of the year
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pop — to visit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. season — in sport
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stem — to come from
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pop — soda
  24. game — a match

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