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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mine — for digging
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pit — in a race
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mark — a trace
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mark — to pay attention

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