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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: pitcher · band · leaves · rock · season · cap · clip · patient

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. season — in sport
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rock — a stone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cap — a lid
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cap — a hat
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. rock — music
  24. season — of the year

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