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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 116 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
468
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: staff · pit · plane · mate · patient · pitch · track · row

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pit — in a race
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. track — a path
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a song
  19. staff — employees
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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