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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: pit · face · patient · bound · pitch · stick · swing · net

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — after costs
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. net — for catching
  12. swing — to play on
  13. face — to confront
  14. net — in sport
  15. pit — in a race
  16. swing — music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bound — certain
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bound — obliged

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