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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. land — ground
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. staff — employees
  10. land — to come down
  11. march — the month
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. ground — the earth
  15. land — a country
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. ground — a position
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pitch — completely
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. march — music

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