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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mug — a face
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. court — for sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pit — in a race
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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