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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — to play on
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ground — crushed
  11. kick — in football
  12. season — of the year
  13. swing — music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ground — a position
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. season — in sport
  24. cap — a hat

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