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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pitch — completely
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. branch — a division
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. sharp — clever
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rush — hurry
  14. key — the most important part
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — a cake
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. key — in music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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