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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bound — certain
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bound — obliged
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. kick — in football
  23. bound — tied together
  24. kick — with a leg

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