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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hand — in cards
  5. present — there
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bass — low music
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rule — government
  11. hand — help
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a dance
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pass — a permit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pitch — completely

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