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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. staff — a stick
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cap — of ice
  10. season — in sport
  11. cap — a lid
  12. staff — employees
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — a grade
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. season — of the year
  17. current — of water
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cap — a hat
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. current — electric
  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