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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chest — of your body
  4. object — a thing
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. firm — decided
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. drill — the tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. bass — low music
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. firm — steady
  16. chest — a box
  17. bass — the fish
  18. object — to protest
  19. firm — a company
  20. drill — army training
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pit — in a race
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pitch — a sports field

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