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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: pitch · leaves · cell · coach · hand · patient · ball · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hand — help
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cell — a phone
  12. ball — a dance
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hand — in cards
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. leaves — to go away

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