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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. degree — from a university
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bat — the animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. deal — to handle
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. dip — to sink
  12. degree — temperature
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. degree — an amount
  21. season — in sport
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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