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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: patient · stick · wave · pitch · mark · cell

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wave — of the sea

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