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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: pass · rush · pitch · patient · track · degree · wind · rule

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. track — a song
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. track — to keep track
  9. degree — an amount
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rule — a law
  12. wind — moving air
  13. track — a path
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wind — moving air
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. degree — from a university

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