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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: rush · patient · rash · pitch · file · foot · roll · stand

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. roll — a list
  3. file — a tool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rash — a series
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. file — a document
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. foot — a measure
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. file — a line of people

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