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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cold — an illness
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mate — a partner
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bank — for money
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cold — not warm
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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