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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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468
Word bank
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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. game — a match
  4. fine — all right
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. suit — to fit
  7. kid — child
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pit — a hole
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kid — to tease
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. game — wild animals
  18. suit — in cards
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fine — high quality
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — in a race
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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