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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 · bay · lean · rock · pitch · pit · march · charge

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. charge — a price
  9. march — music
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lean — thin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rock — music
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. charge — in control
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. march — the month

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