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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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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: bound · race · pitch · staff · kick · pit · lean · patient

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. race — humankind
  4. lean — thin
  5. pit — in a race
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kick — in football
  8. staff — employees
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. staff — employees
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitch — completely
  16. race — a contest
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lean — to bend
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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