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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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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ground — a position
  4. rule — government
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rest — a break
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. staff — employees
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rule — a law
  21. rest — what's left
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. staff — employees

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