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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — the amount
  7. roll — a cake
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. pit — a hole
  15. season — in sport
  16. content — happy
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. roll — a list
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. season — of the year
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. band — a music group
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. plane — a tool

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