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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. staff — a stick
  3. object — an aim
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. object — a thing
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fall — the season
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. row — a line
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. press — to push
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fall — to drop
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. staff — employees
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fall — to drop

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