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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: pit · board · race · file · patient · stick

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. race — humankind
  4. file — a document
  5. pit — in a race
  6. board — a committee
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — the arms race
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. file — a tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — a contest
  14. file — a line of people
  15. board — to get on
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pit — a hole

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