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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 120 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: pitch · bank · chair · deal · track · wind · squash · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wind — moving air
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. bank — of a river
  9. squash — the sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a song
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitch — completely
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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