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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pit — in a race
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. net — in sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. chip — for betting
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. net — after costs
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. sharp — clever
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pit — a hole

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