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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chip — to eat
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. staff — employees
  7. present — there
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mark — a grade
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mark — a trace
  15. present — the time now
  16. chip — for betting
  17. present — a gift
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cell — in biology
  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