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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: fork · ground · patient · rush · key · pitcher · mark · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — in music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. key — the most important part
  22. net — for catching
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ground — a position

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