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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. track — a song
  3. mate — a friend
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. track — a path
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. track — to keep track
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. game — a match
  12. mate — to breed
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mate — a partner
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — to handle
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. game — wild animals

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