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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: snap · pit · stick · pitch · race · patient

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. race — a contest
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pitch — completely
  10. race — the arms race
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. snap — to click
  17. race — humankind
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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