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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spring — of water
  4. ground — a position
  5. charge — electricity
  6. spring — the season
  7. charge — a price
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. file — a document
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mug — a face
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. saw — the tool

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