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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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Word bank
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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: bay · cell · nail · pitch · ball · chair · spring · patient

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cell — in biology
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. spring — of water
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spring — the season
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — completely
  20. spring — a coil
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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