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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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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: can · roll · pitch · patient · pit · stand · race · cell

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. can — a tin
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cell — in biology
  6. race — a contest
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. race — the arms race
  12. roll — a list
  13. cell — a phone
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. roll — a cake
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. race — humankind
  24. cell — in a prison

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