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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cold — an illness
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cold — not warm
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. foot — a measure
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. patient — a sick person

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