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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pit — in a race
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pit — a hole
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wind — moving air
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rock — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bear — the animal

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