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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rush — hurry
  4. game — a match
  5. cap — a lid
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — in music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pitch — completely
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. game — wild animals
  19. key — the most important part
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. patient — a sick person

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