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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. staff — employees
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pit — a hole
  6. track — to keep track
  7. saw — the tool
  8. staff — a stick
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. pit — in a race
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. track — a song
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. track — a path
  20. staff — employees
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fork — in a road
  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