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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 116 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: pitcher · chair · patient · cap · pass · club · wave · file

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. file — a line of people
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. file — a tool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cap — of ice
  16. club — for golf
  17. file — a document
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitcher — a jug

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