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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. current — of water
  3. clip — a video
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. suit — in cards
  8. clip — to cut
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. current — happening now
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. degree — temperature
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. current — electric
  18. lean — to bend
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lean — thin
  22. suit — clothes
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. degree — an amount

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