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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. object — a thing
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mine — for digging
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. object — an aim
  9. fine — all right
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. object — to protest
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. chip — to eat
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chip — in a computer

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