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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. land — ground
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. land — a country
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. swing — to play on
  14. staff — employees
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to click
  20. swing — music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. land — to come down
  23. swing — in golf
  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