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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. degree — an amount
  6. saw — the tool
  7. field — farmland
  8. chip — to eat
  9. degree — temperature
  10. staff — employees
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — a stick
  15. degree — from a university
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — for sport
  18. chip — for betting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. field — a subject
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. patient — a sick person
  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