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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pitch — completely
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. can — to be able to
  8. current — happening now
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. scale — in music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. current — of water
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — electric
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. patient — a sick person

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