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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: season · pitcher · pit · cue · stock · patient · wake · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wake — a trail
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — for pool
  9. season — in sport
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pit — in a race
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stock — goods
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. season — of the year
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stock — shares

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