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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. sharp — clever
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. root — of a word
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. root — the cause
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. land — to come down
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stand — to bear
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stand — on your feet

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