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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mark — a grade
  4. object — to protest
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. land — ground
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. snap — to click
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. object — a thing
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bass — low music
  19. land — to come down
  20. object — an aim
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. land — a country
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bass — the fish

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