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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: rash · cell · pitch · bay · row · spell · suit · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pitch — completely
  6. spell — letters
  7. row — a line
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. spell — magic
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rash — a series
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cell — in biology
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rash — hasty
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. suit — to fit

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