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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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Word bank
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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pass — a permit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pit — a hole

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