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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. firm — decided
  3. net — in sport
  4. track — a song
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. track — to keep track
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. net — after costs
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. track — a path
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ground — a position
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. net — for catching

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