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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. net — in sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. net — for catching
  7. pop — soda
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. season — in sport
  12. capital — a city
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. season — of the year
  16. pop — music
  17. net — after costs
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. capital — money
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. court — for sport
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pit — a hole

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