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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitch · saw · hide · jam · squash · board · face · patient

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. board — a committee
  6. squash — the sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. face — to point toward
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. face — part of the head
  18. squash — to crush
  19. face — to confront
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. board — to get on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitch — completely
  24. jam — a tight spot

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