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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bank — for money
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pit — in a race
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bank — of a river
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. sharp — clever
  19. row — a line
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — a subject
  24. racket — for tennis

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