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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. branch — a division
  7. hand — in cards
  8. chip — to eat
  9. race — humankind
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. hand — help
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. foot — a measure
  14. race — a contest
  15. pit — a hole
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — for betting
  19. race — the arms race
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. season — of the year
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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