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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. court — of a king
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitch — completely
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. court — of law
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rest — a break
  18. cue — a signal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. ground — a position
  22. court — for sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ground — the earth

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