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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. track — a song
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. track — to keep track
  8. charge — in control
  9. kick — in football
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chest — a box
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. season — in sport
  22. track — a path
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. charge — a price

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