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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
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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: fall · staff · current · mouse · club · patient · court · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fall — to drop
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pitch — completely
  5. current — happening now
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. court — for sport
  9. current — electric
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. club — a group
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. current — of water
  22. fall — the season
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. court — of a king

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