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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fork — in a road
  7. present — the time now
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. tube — a container
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. field — for sport
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. present — there
  17. clip — a video
  18. present — a gift
  19. field — farmland
  20. fine — all right
  21. field — a subject
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. clip — to cut

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