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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ball — a great time
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pit — a hole
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ground — crushed
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rash — hasty
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rash — a series

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