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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. present — a gift
  7. ball — a dance
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. season — in sport
  14. present — the time now
  15. scale — in music
  16. present — there
  17. season — of the year
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitch — completely
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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