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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. clip — to cut
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. net — after costs
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. clip — for paper
  9. suit — in cards
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. foot — a measure
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. suit — clothes
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. net — for catching
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. clip — a video
  21. net — in sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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