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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 116 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: patient · pitch · stick · rock · squash · lean

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lean — to bend
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lean — thin

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