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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — clothes
  9. file — a document
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pitch — completely
  14. file — a tool
  15. suit — in cards
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — a hole
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. hand — help
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. sharp — exactly

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