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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. game — a match
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pit — a hole
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. roll — a list
  14. net — after costs
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. prune — to trim
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pit — in a race
  24. roll — on a roll

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