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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chest — a box
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rule — government
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. scale — in music
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rule — a law
  16. chest — of your body
  17. sharp — clever
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. chest — of your body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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