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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — in music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cue — for pool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — a song
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. track — a path
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. scale — size or range

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