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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. spell — magic
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — goods
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pit — a hole
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stock — shares
  20. mug — a face
  21. spell — letters
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. degree — an amount

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