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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: pitch · pitcher · patient · suit · date · deal · mug · bat

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. date — the fruit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mug — a cup
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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