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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pit — a hole
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stand — to bear
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. scale — size or range
  14. land — a country
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. key — the most important part
  20. scale — in music
  21. land — ground
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. land — to come down
  24. stand — for spectators

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