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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · roll · current · patient · fine · pitch · kid · face

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. current — electric
  9. roll — a list
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. face — to point toward
  13. roll — a cake
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. kid — to tease
  23. face — part of the head
  24. roll — on a roll

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