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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. present — there
  3. content — happy
  4. pop — music
  5. toast — bread
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitch — completely
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — the time now
  13. content — the amount
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. present — a gift
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rule — government
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rule — a law
  24. patient — a sick person

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