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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. season — of the year
  3. track — a song
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. season — in sport
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. track — to keep track
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — a series
  24. track — a path

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