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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. object — to protest
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — to drill
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. object — a thing
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bore — to tire
  15. staff — employees
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rule — government
  21. object — an aim
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rule — a law
  24. leaves — of a tree

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