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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: suit · patient · march · nail · snap · stick · pit · hand

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. suit — in cards
  3. march — the month
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. suit — clothes
  6. march — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. hand — help
  15. pit — in a race
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hand — in cards
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. march — the month
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. suit — to fit

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