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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mine — for digging
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. suit — clothes
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. chip — to eat
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ball — a great time
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ground — crushed
  24. patient — a sick person

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