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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. staff — employees
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rock — a stone
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. staff — a stick
  24. racket — a loud noise

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