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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: pitch · patient · key · season · bay · shower · rule · object

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. object — to protest
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. season — in sport
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. key — in music
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rule — a law
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rule — government
  15. shower — rain
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. key — for a lock
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. season — of the year

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