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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. spring — the season
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitch — completely
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chip — for betting
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. spring — a coil
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bore — gave birth

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