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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. present — there
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. present — a gift
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. firm — steady
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. present — the time now
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lean — thin

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