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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — in a race
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. present — the time now
  8. pit — a hole
  9. prune — to trim
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. can — to be able to
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. can — a tin
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. perch — the fish
  24. prune — the fruit

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