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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. track — a song
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. game — wild animals
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ground — a position
  15. present — a gift
  16. track — a path
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. game — a match
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ground — crushed

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