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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.

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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 · spell · track · squash · fall · pitch · firm · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. spell — a short time
  3. track — a song
  4. rule — a law
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. firm — decided
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. fall — the season
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. squash — to crush
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pitch — completely

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