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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: sharp · craft · field · pass · patient · rest · firm · pitch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. firm — a company
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. craft — a skill
  11. firm — decided
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. firm — steady
  16. rest — a break
  17. field — for sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. field — a subject
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. craft — boats
  23. field — farmland
  24. craft — a handicraft

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