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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. tube — a container
  5. pit — in a race
  6. degree — from a university
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. row — to paddle
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pit — a hole
  15. degree — temperature
  16. row — a line
  17. march — the month
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. tube — the underground
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. degree — an amount

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