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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. season — of the year
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. season — in sport
  7. chip — for betting
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pit — a hole
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. sharp — exactly

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