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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cue — a signal
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pop — soda
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pop — music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tear — to rip
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. scale — in music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pop — to visit

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