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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 120 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: rest · row · patient · pitcher · mate · calf · chair · pitch

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rest — a break
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mate — a friend
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — to paddle
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. row — a line
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. calf — a young animal

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