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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 covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. ground — a position
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pit — in a race
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. present — there
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pit — a hole
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — after costs
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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