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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stem — to come from
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pitcher — a jug

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