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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. date — the fruit
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. board — a committee
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. squash — to crush
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pit — a hole
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. board — to get on
  21. pit — in a race
  22. sharp — clever
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. patient — a sick person

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