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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: racket · stock · bowl · patient · mine · current · pitch · pass

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. current — happening now
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. current — electric
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pass — a permit
  12. current — of water
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — for tennis

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