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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: rash · pitch · hide · craft · pass · rule · patient · present

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rule — a law
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. present — the time now
  10. rule — government
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pass — a permit

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