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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. board — to get on
  3. mate — to breed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — a partner
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — for money
  13. board — a committee
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cap — a lid
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cap — of ice
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bank — of a river

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