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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 116 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: pitch · last · bay · ball · object · row · patient · stick

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. last — finally
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitch — completely
  8. object — an aim
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. object — a thing
  12. ball — a dance
  13. last — to go on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. last — final
  17. object — to protest
  18. row — to paddle
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. row — a line
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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