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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. staff — employees
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitch — completely
  8. season — in sport
  9. rock — music
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a great time
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. staff — employees
  18. season — of the year
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rock — a stone
  22. plane — a tool
  23. staff — a stick
  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