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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fall — the season
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stand — to bear
  12. game — wild animals
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. plane — a tool
  20. game — a match
  21. bound — certain
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fall — to drop
  24. plane — an aircraft

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