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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — a stone
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. spring — of water
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. saw — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rock — music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. season — of the year

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