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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. tube — a container
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kid — child
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. date — the fruit
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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