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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chest — of your body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. game — a match
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. chest — of your body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chest — a box
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — the earth
  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