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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bound — certain
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. racket — for tennis

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