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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: foot · bank · fine · stand · patient · pitch · bat · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bank — for money
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fine — high quality
  7. foot — a measure
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bank — for money
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fine — all right
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pitch — completely
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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