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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. degree — from a university
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cue — a hint
  9. degree — temperature
  10. race — a contest
  11. tube — a container
  12. object — an aim
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cue — for pool
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. race — humankind
  19. object — a thing
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mug — to rob
  22. object — to protest
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mug — a face

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