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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. last — finally
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bore — to drill
  8. board — to get on
  9. last — to go on
  10. rash — a series
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. last — final
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wound — an injury
  16. board — a committee
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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