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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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Word bank
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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. march — the month
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. march — the month
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitch — completely
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. fine — high quality
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. march — music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fine — all right
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. racket — for tennis

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