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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. pop — soda
  3. pit — in a race
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pit — a hole
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pop — music
  9. mate — a friend
  10. perch — the fish
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tube — the underground
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pop — to visit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tube — a container
  21. scale — in music
  22. charge — in control
  23. mate — to breed
  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