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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 · chip · firm · ground · season · pitch · nail · current

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. 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. season — in sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. current — happening now
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ground — the earth
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. season — of the year
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. chip — for betting
  20. firm — decided
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. 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