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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fine — all right
  5. shower — to wash
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fine — high quality
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. season — in sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. shower — rain
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. racket — for tennis

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