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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: patient · season · pitch · fall · board · roll · file · ruler

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fall — to drop
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fall — the season
  13. roll — a list
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. file — a tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. season — of the year
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a document
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — in sport
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. season — to add flavour

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