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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: wind · patient · foot · spring · pit · temple · rock · pitch

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitch — completely
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — a stone
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rock — music
  14. spring — of water
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. spring — the season
  21. pit — in a race
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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