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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: fork · band · patient · file · fan · staff · pitch · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. file — a line of people
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — in a road
  13. band — a ring
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitch — completely
  18. staff — a stick
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. staff — employees
  22. dip — to sink
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. patient — a sick person

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