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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: chair · jam · spell · bowl · pass · patient · pop · fork

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pop — soda
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. spell — letters
  10. pop — to visit
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pop — music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. spell — magic
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. chair — a leader
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bowl — a football final

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