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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rock — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hand — help
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pass — a permit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rock — a stone

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