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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pitch — completely
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. roll — a cake
  10. row — a line
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. press — newspapers
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. press — a publisher
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. press — to push

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