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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. track — a path
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fine — all right
  12. track — to keep track
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fork — in a road
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. track — a song
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fine — a penalty

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