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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitch — completely
  9. hand — in cards
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bore — to drill
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. dip — to sink
  20. current — happening now
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. dip — to dunk

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