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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 124 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cold — an illness
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bass — low music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. current — happening now
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bass — the fish
  12. current — of water
  13. pitch — completely
  14. plane — a tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. current — electric
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cold — not warm

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