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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. spring — the season
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wake — a trail
  11. spring — of water
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bore — to tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — a coil
  23. jam — in traffic
  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