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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: sharp · object · patient · bass · bowl · clip · pitch · field

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. object — a thing
  6. sharp — clever
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. field — a subject
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bass — the fish
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pitch — completely
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. clip — a video

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