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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chest — of your body
  12. snap — to click
  13. chest — of your body
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chest — a box
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. march — the month

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