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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. last — finally
  3. staff — a stick
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitch — completely
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. last — to go on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ball — a dance
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. root — of a word
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. last — final

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