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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 the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. net — in sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pop — music
  6. net — for catching
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pop — soda
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chest — of your body
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chest — a box
  15. ball — a great time
  16. net — after costs
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fall — to drop

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