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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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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: stick · suit · mark · patient · straw · snap · row · pitch

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. suit — clothes
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. suit — to fit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. snap — to click
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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