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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pit — in a race
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. last — to go on
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. swing — in golf
  11. last — finally
  12. kid — child
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. last — final
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. swing — music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pit — a hole
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. present — a gift
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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