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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. land — ground
  4. bass — the fish
  5. file — a document
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. file — a line of people
  9. land — to come down
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. root — of a word
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. root — the cause
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. land — a country
  17. bass — low music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. root — of a plant
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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