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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: patient · file · bowl · row · key · sharp · pitcher · suit

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. row — a line
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. suit — in cards
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. file — a line of people
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. file — a document
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. row — to paddle
  18. sharp — clever
  19. file — a tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — to fit
  23. key — for a lock
  24. patient — a sick person

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