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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. current — electric
  3. pass — a permit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pit — a hole
  12. squash — the sport
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. squash — to crush
  15. current — happening now
  16. club — a group
  17. bound — certain
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pit — in a race
  21. current — of water
  22. hand — help
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. club — for golf

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