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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pitch — completely
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. sharp — clever
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. present — the time now
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. season — in sport
  14. net — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. net — for catching
  17. present — a gift
  18. season — of the year
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. present — there
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. snap — to click
  23. rush — hurry
  24. sharp — with an edge

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