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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. deal — to handle
  7. field — for sport
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. field — farmland
  12. tube — the underground
  13. field — a subject
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — a list
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. toast — bread
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bay — a horse colour

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