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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: scale · court · pit · pitch · stand · pitcher · current · patient

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pit — a hole
  3. scale — in music
  4. current — happening now
  5. court — of law
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. current — of water
  11. pitch — completely
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. court — of a king
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. scale — size or range

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