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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · current · spell · patient · fine · snap · pitch · spring

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. spell — letters
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. snap — to click
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. spring — the season
  15. current — happening now
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pit — a hole
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. current — electric
  23. spell — magic
  24. spring — of water

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