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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. current — electric
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fine — all right
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. current — of water
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fine — high quality
  16. spring — the season
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. spring — of water
  19. club — a group
  20. land — ground
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. club — for golf
  24. current — happening now

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