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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. face — part of the head
  7. board — to get on
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. board — a committee
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rule — a law
  13. bat — the animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rule — government
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. face — to confront

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