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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mate — a friend
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. chip — to eat
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mug — a face
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — to breed
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. straw — a straw man

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