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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 120 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 · bore · pitch · bank · snap · race

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bank — of a river
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to click
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bore — to tire
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bank — for money
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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