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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: pitch · track · fork · current · patient · chair · plane · tear

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitch — completely
  4. current — of water
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. plane — a tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fork — in a road
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. tear — from crying
  18. current — electric
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. track — a path
  21. tear — to rip
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. tear — from crying

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