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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pit — in a race
  4. craft — boats
  5. pit — a hole
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lean — thin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lean — to bend
  13. club — a group
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kid — child
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. kid — to tease
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. club — for golf
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. craft — a skill

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