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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 · swing · cabinet · racket · prune · mate · patient · bulb

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. swing — to play on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. swing — in golf
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mate — to breed
  22. prune — to trim
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. prune — the fruit

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