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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. march — music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. sharp — clever
  9. track — a path
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. track — a song
  12. wax — to grow
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. march — the month
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bank — for money
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bank — of a river
  21. march — the month
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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