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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.

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: mine · bear · stick · pitch · hand · patient · season · mouse

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — help
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. season — in sport
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pitch — completely
  19. season — of the year
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mouse — the animal

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