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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. prune — to trim
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pit — in a race
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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