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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. squash — to crush
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kick — in football
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stem — to come from
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. squash — the sport
  20. scale — in music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. scale — size or range
  24. patient — a sick person

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