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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. toast — bread
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. snap — to click
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rash — a series
  17. pit — a hole
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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