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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fine — all right
  4. file — a document
  5. pit — a hole
  6. content — happy
  7. mug — a face
  8. file — a tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mug — a cup
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cue — a signal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cue — for pool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. file — a line of people
  21. content — the amount
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cue — a hint

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