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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rock — a stone
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wound — an injury
  7. file — a line of people
  8. race — a contest
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. file — a document
  11. pit — a hole
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rock — music
  16. cue — a signal
  17. file — a tool
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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