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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rash — a series
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitch — completely
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — not warm
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rash — on the skin

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