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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: sharp · stand · pit · mark · chair · patient · key · racket

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. key — for a lock
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — clever
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. key — in music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. key — the most important part
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mark — a trace
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pit — in a race

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