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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kid — child
  3. pop — soda
  4. present — a gift
  5. pop — music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. present — there
  15. roll — a cake
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pop — to visit
  20. present — the time now
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. hand — help
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. kid — to tease

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