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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. fine — all right
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fine — high quality
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pit — in a race
  21. board — to get on
  22. scale — in music
  23. wind — moving air
  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