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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. court — for sport
  4. cue — a signal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — of law
  12. deal — to handle
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. court — of a king
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cue — a hint
  20. face — to confront
  21. cue — for pool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. patient — a sick person
  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