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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bat — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — a hole
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. key — for a lock
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wind — moving air
  24. key — in music

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