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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: trunk · can · firm · mate · last · ball · patient · pitch

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a dance
  4. firm — steady
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitch — completely
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. last — to go on
  11. mate — a friend
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. last — final
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. firm — a company
  17. mate — a partner
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. last — finally
  20. can — a tin
  21. firm — decided
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. ball — a round shape

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