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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — there
  3. scale — in music
  4. board — to get on
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. board — a committee
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. present — the time now
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitch — completely
  19. scale — size or range
  20. present — a gift
  21. race — a contest
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. plane — in geometry

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