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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. land — a country
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. land — ground
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. land — to come down
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pit — in a race
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wave — with your hand

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