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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — magic
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. shower — rain
  10. swing — in golf
  11. suit — in cards
  12. swing — music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. suit — to fit
  15. shower — to wash
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pitch — completely
  18. spell — letters
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. suit — clothes
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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