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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. net — in sport
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pitch — completely
  12. race — humankind
  13. rock — music
  14. race — a contest
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pop — soda
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — a stone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — to move gently

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