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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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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: can · wave · hide · race · court · patient · pitch · craft

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. race — humankind
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. craft — a skill
  7. race — a contest
  8. pitch — completely
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. court — of a king
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. race — the arms race
  21. court — of law
  22. can — to be able to
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — a tin

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