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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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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cold — an illness
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rash — a series
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. court — of a king
  9. ball — a dance
  10. court — of law
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. court — for sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. chip — for betting
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ball — a great time
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chip — in a computer

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