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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pit — in a race
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. court — of law
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mug — a face
  19. hand — in cards
  20. court — for sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mug — a cup
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. court — of a king

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