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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. degree — from a university
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pitch — completely
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. track — a path
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. track — to keep track
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. degree — temperature
  21. track — a song
  22. degree — an amount
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. squash — the sport

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