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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pop — soda
  6. sharp — clever
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. net — in sport
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. net — after costs
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pop — music
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. net — for catching
  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