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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — in a race
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. game — a match
  11. suit — to fit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. suit — clothes
  23. lie — to recline
  24. prune — the fruit

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