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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · cold · present · kick · pitch · trunk · cue · wound

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cue — for pool
  6. present — the time now
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wound — an injury
  13. present — a gift
  14. cue — a signal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. cold — an illness
  21. present — there
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. kick — in football
  24. trunk — of a car

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