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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — a price
  23. rock — a stone
  24. chair — a leader

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