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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. prune — to trim
  5. staff — employees
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fine — all right
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. prune — to trim
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fine — high quality
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mine — for digging
  24. plane — an aircraft

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