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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bank — for money
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. staff — employees
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. staff — employees
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bank — of a river
  13. suit — clothes
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bank — for money
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. clip — to cut
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fork — in a road
  21. suit — to fit
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. clip — a video
  24. pitch — a sports field

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