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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. date — the fruit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — in sport
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. staff — a stick
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. season — of the year
  15. ball — a great time
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — in a race
  24. ball — a dance

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