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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — the season
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pitch — completely
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. staff — employees
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — happy
  15. spring — a coil
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. content — the amount
  22. spring — of water
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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