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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — employees
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. staff — employees
  10. fine — high quality
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pit — a hole
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. track — a song
  16. pit — in a race
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mark — a grade
  19. track — a path
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fine — all right

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