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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · arm · fan · date · deal · bear · patient · cap

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pit — a hole
  17. deal — to handle
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pit — in a race
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bear — the animal

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