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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cap — a lid
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rule — government
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cap — of ice
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mug — a face
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bat — the animal

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