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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pop — soda
  7. last — to go on
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pop — music
  17. fine — all right
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. last — final
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rock — a stone

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