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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ground — a position
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. march — the month
  11. ground — the earth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. suit — in cards
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. march — music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. march — the month
  24. coach — a trainer

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