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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · toast · bowl · lean · patient · kick

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lean — to bend
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kick — in football
  17. lean — thin
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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