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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: fine · mine · pitch · hide · pit · patient · bat · mouse

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fine — all right
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fine — high quality

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