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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. land — to come down
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. present — a gift
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. land — a country
  9. present — there
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. season — in sport
  12. chest — a box
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chest — of your body
  16. season — of the year
  17. present — the time now
  18. land — ground
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pit — a hole
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. season — to add flavour

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