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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fine — all right
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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