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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fine — all right
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pound — a weight
  19. season — of the year
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. craft — boats
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. season — in sport

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