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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — of a king
  8. lie — to recline
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. staff — a stick
  12. court — of law
  13. staff — employees
  14. court — for sport
  15. club — a group
  16. bat — the animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. club — for golf
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pit — a hole
  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