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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. row — a line
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — low music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. staff — employees
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. staff — employees
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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