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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. net — after costs
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — in sport
  6. chip — to eat
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. net — for catching
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — completely
  11. last — finally
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chip — for betting
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. last — final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. last — to go on
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. dip — to sink

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