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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. race — humankind
  9. last — to go on
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lean — thin
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. race — a contest
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lean — to bend
  23. race — the arms race
  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