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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. court — of law
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. court — of a king
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — electricity
  12. court — for sport
  13. charge — in control
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to click
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — in a race
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. craft — boats
  20. rush — hurry
  21. charge — a price
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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