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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 120 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: ground · pitch · patient · kick · track · swing · cell · bay

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. track — a song
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pitch — completely
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cell — in biology
  9. track — a path
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — to keep track
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cell — a phone
  17. swing — music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. swing — in golf
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. ground — a position
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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