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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: pitch · patient · fork · bank · wave · present · temple · mate

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bank — for money
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. present — the time now
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bank — for money
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fork — in a road
  24. temple — side of the head

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