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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. row — to paddle
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. present — a gift
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. court — of law
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. clip — to cut
  16. court — of a king
  17. pitch — completely
  18. present — the time now
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. court — for sport
  21. clip — for paper
  22. present — there
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bear — to put up with

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