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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cap — a hat
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cap — a lid
  9. kid — child
  10. pitch — completely
  11. shower — to wash
  12. race — the arms race
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. race — humankind
  23. cap — of ice
  24. race — a contest

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