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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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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: wave · pitch · patient · race · firm · rule

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. race — a contest
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitch — completely
  10. firm — a company
  11. race — the arms race
  12. firm — decided
  13. race — humankind
  14. rule — government
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — a sick person

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