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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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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. season — in sport
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wake — a trail
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fine — all right
  14. ground — a position
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ground — the earth
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rock — music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. season — of the year
  24. chair — to sit on

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