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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mate — a friend
  6. present — a gift
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mate — to breed
  9. ball — a dance
  10. present — there
  11. pit — a hole
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ground — a position
  15. mate — a partner
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pit — in a race
  19. present — the time now
  20. ground — the earth
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. chair — a leader

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