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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. present — the time now
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. kid — child
  6. pit — in a race
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. present — there
  11. track — to keep track
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. present — a gift
  14. pit — a hole
  15. track — a song
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kid — to tease
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. track — a path
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. board — a committee

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