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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. land — a country
  7. chip — for betting
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. shower — rain
  12. land — to come down
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. object — an aim
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. land — ground
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wake — a trail

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