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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 116 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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wind — moving air
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. plane — a tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  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