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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chair — a leader
  24. patient — a sick person

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