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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. file — a line of people
  4. can — to be able to
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. game — a match
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. file — a tool
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. file — a document
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — a sick person

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