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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fine — all right
  4. cue — a hint
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fine — high quality
  9. firm — a company
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. firm — decided
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. firm — steady
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cue — for pool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cue — a signal

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