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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: pitch · fan · sharp · arm · scale · suit · patient · mine

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. suit — to fit
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pitch — completely
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. suit — in cards
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. scale — in music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mine — for digging
  24. scale — size or range

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