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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mate — a friend
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mate — to breed
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kid — child
  16. rush — hurry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mate — a partner
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. patient — a sick person
  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