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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hand — help
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lean — to bend
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pitch — completely
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bowl — to roll

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