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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pitch — completely
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pop — music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kick — in football
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pop — to visit
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. prune — to trim
  18. key — in music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. key — the most important part

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