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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 116 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 so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. pit — a hole
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fork — in a road
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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