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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · present · pop · plane · saw · prune · race

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. race — a contest
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. present — a gift
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. race — the arms race
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — music
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. saw — the tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. present — the time now
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. present — there
  20. pop — soda
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. race — humankind
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pop — to visit

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