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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cold — an illness
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — a price
  11. cold — not warm
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — soda
  22. pitch — completely
  23. charge — in control
  24. ball — a dance

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