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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chip — for betting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — completely
  23. chip — to eat
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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