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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lean — thin
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mark — a trace
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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