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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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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: pit · patient · suit · bowl · straw · wax · pop · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pop — music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pop — soda
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mate — to breed
  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