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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pit — in a race
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chip — for betting
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lie — to recline
  9. march — music
  10. charge — in control
  11. march — the month
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. charge — a price
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pit — a hole

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