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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. key — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. degree — temperature
  11. firm — steady
  12. degree — from a university
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. key — the most important part
  17. firm — a company
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. firm — decided
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pitch — completely
  23. key — for a lock
  24. season — of the year

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