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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. staff — employees
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. firm — decided
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. firm — a company
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. firm — steady
  19. shower — rain
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitch — completely

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